SHILLONG, Nov 28: The Congress on Sunday asked the state government to take the report of NITI Aayog seriously and suggested some remedial measures on the important parameters.
Meghalaya has been listed as the fifth poorest state in the country. The state’s 32.67% people are poor.
Congress working president, Ampareen Lyngdoh said, “The government has to dovetail policies to assist this section of people and ensure that there are adequate opportunities to hand-hold them to catch up on education, health, employment and livelihood sectors.”
She insisted that the government urgently review all ongoing schemes. She claimed that the mission mode schemes are not delivering the targeted results and require immediate evaluation.
On the NITI Aayog’s second index, she said it is alarming to know that three to four children out of every 100 – below the age of 14 years – do not survive.
“This is again a red indicator which requires immediate attention of the government. These figures have remained constant for several years now,” she said.
Questioning the efforts put in by the government to improve paediatric health care, Lyngdoh said, “The efforts of the government are found wanting. Time and again, child care in rural Meghalaya is in a critical situation. Government must evaluate its facilities and put in corrective intervention immediately for this to change.”
A third area of concern in the report indicates that 34 out of every 100 expectant mothers do not have access to maternity health care facilities, she said.
“This data again has been consistent for many years now and the reappearance of such glaring failure is indicative that little action has been taken to ensure the protection of women. Their lives are threatened with every pregnancy,” she said.
The Congress leader suggeste It is unfortunate that 38 out of every 100 citizens are malnourished and likely to be vulnerable to diseases and viruses that often leave them in life-threatening situations, Lyngdoh said. “Here again, the government policy is failing. Meghalaya is facing these critical issues in the 21st century. The overall public well-being is under serious scrutiny,” she said.
On the educational front, she said, “Another index under scrutiny is that 19.71% of the state’s population is deprived of years of schooling. From this, we can draw the conclusion that the reach of quality and qualified teaching in the state requires serious attention and immediate redressal.”
